Destiny 2’s Echoes Act 3 adds new Artifact Perks and weapons

Destiny 2‘s Episode: Echoes starts its final Act today, introducing a slew of new Artifact Perks and weapons. After Act 2 buffed snipers in PvE, Act 3 shows some love to auto rifles, with a new Exotic auto rifle also dropping in the Act. And even if auto rifles aren’t your thing, the new machine gun, trace rifle, or returning grenade launcher might serve as the highlight of Act 3.

Destiny 2 switched from a seasonal model to an episodic one with the launch of The Final Shape expansion. There are three Acts per Episode, with the first, Echoes, now entering its final Act. Each Act of an Episode adds some story missions alongside episodic activities or events. Episode: Echoes set a pace for new weapons in each Act, with one returning weapon from Destiny‘s past. Time will tell whether that delivery structure continues through the next two planned Episodes.

New Artifact Perks highlight auto rifles

Five new Artifact Perks are arriving for Act 3 of Episode: Echoes, most of which increase the effectiveness of auto rifles. The five Perks are spread across the different tiers of the Artifact, offering one new option per column.

In the first column, Overload Auto Rifle makes its return. This Perk allows continuous auto rifle fire stun Overload Champions while adding other benefits. Auto rifles benefiting from the Perk will always be considered as overcharged, reduce enemy ability regen, and limit enemy potential damage. The new second column Artifact Perk is Authorized Mod: Charged Up, lowering the cost of the Charged Up armor mod to 1. Charged Up increases a Guardian’s maximum possible stacks of Armor Charge by 1.

Things heat up with the new Artifact Perk in the third column, Sustained Fire, which grants damage resistance after a few uninterrupted seconds of laying into foes with auto rifles. This is made all the better by the fourth column Artifact Perk, Targeting Adjuster. Targeting Adjuster has a chance to reward bonus weapon damage and automatically reload whenever an enemy is eliminated with an auto rifle. Players can increase their chances by defeating foes while surrounded.

Finally, the fifth column bolsters the new Shock and Awe Artifact Perk. When using an Arc or Prismatic Subclass, Shock and Awe generates a lightning strike that damages and Jolts nearby enemies whenever players get an Arc final blow while Amplified. While Shock and Awe sounds pretty good on its own for Arc-leaning Prismatic Guardians, the Perk has some monstrous synergy alongside the other new auto rifle Artifact Perks. All it takes is an Arc auto rifle like Shadow Price or the Exotic Centrifuse to get the best of both worlds.

New and returning weapons

Echoes Act 3 has a group of weapons awaiting Guardians, including one new Exotic auto rifle. The first new weapon for Episode: Echoes is the Speleologist machine gun. This 900 RPM Solar beast uses a Rapid-Fire Frame and can roll with favorite Perks like Heal Clip, Stats for All, Envious Assassin, Incandescent, and Killing Tally. A new Adaptive Frame Void trace rifle called Chronophage is also inbound, adding a second Void trace rifle option for weapon crafting. Notable Perks for Chronophage include Shoot to Loot, Repulsor Brace, Target Lock, and Destabilizing Rounds.

Tagging along with the two new Echoes weapons is the returning special ammo grenade launcher, Martyr’s Retribution. The Solar Wave Frame was an old favorite that’s made even better by its updated Perk pool and Intrinsic Trait. While it’s not craftable like the new weapons joining this Episode, it does sport some spicy new Perks like Heal Clip, Envious Assassin, Strategist, and Incandescent.

Rounding out the updates to Guardians’ arsenal is the addition of a new Exotic auto rifle, Choir of One. The weapon is earned after completing the new Exotic mission, Encore: Overture. The Void auto rifle lets players live out their Vex Wyvern fantasies, shooting out slow-moving, splitting, explosive projectiles. Choir of One is also craftable, so it’ll only get better over time as it’s empowered by completing additional objectives within Encore: Overture.

Between Act 2’s solar sniper-buffing Artifact Perks, the new auto rifle-based Perks from Act 3, and some new tools to rip enemies apart, Episode: Echoes means to go out with a bang.